Friday, November 4, 2016

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë


Agnes Grey 
by Anne Brontë
originally published in 1847
ebook, 221 pages

audiobook:
narrated by Emilia Fox
Audible Studios, 2008
6 hours and 27 minutes

Summary (from goodreads):
At age 19 Anne Brontë left home and worked as a governess for a few years before becoming a writer. Agnes Grey was an 1847 novel based on her experience as a governess. Bronte depicts the precarious position of a governess and how that can affect a young woman. Agnes was the daughter of a minister whose family was in financial difficulty. She has only a few choices for employment. Agnes experiences the difficulty of reining in spoiled children and how wealth can corrupt morals.

My thoughts:

Agnes Grey, the book I was dealt in the recent Classics Club spin, is a simple, straight-forward, and relatively short story based on the author's experience as a governess. Life as a governess was difficult for Agnes (Anne), whose family had recently fallen upon hard times. None of the women in this novel have a particularly easy time of it... a fact which made it easy for me to understand how Anne progressed from this story to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, a book many consider to be the first feminist novel.

Agnes Grey is slightly predictable (nowhere near as exciting as 'Tenant'), and Agnes herself comes across as somewhat preachy and self-righteous, however this was still an enjoyable read overall. It also has one of the best closing lines I've come across:
"And now I think I have said sufficient."
A note on the audio:
Agnes Grey was a read/listen combination for me, and my first experience listening to Emilia Fox. Her accent is lovely, though initially I thought she spoke too quickly. However, I settled in before the end of the first chapter and ended up enjoying her narration very much.

My rating:


25 comments:

  1. I don't think life was easy for any women back then but I find it interesting that a family that's fallen on hard times would keep their governess.

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    Replies
    1. Kathy - I didn't write that clearly, but it was Agnes' family that fell on hard times and shipped her out to be a governess. You're right... no women had easy lives then.

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  2. I think this is a lovely book. I need to reread it. :)

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    Replies
    1. Jillian - I really liked it, too...made me want to reread Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

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  3. Vicki - It takes a while to get used to the language, but it is a lovely story.

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  4. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed this, as I also have it on my Classics Club list. I am looking forward to read it, but it does sound like I should read The Tenant of Wildfel Hall first.

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    1. Jessica - In some ways, I think it might be better to read Agnes Grey first, especially know that it's autobiographical. Then you'll be wowed by Tenant.

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  5. I've never read anything by Anne, and never heard of this title. Interesting that it is based on her years as a governess. And I love her last sentence!

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    1. Rita - I only learned about this title from blogging friends who love classics. Don't think as many people read Anne as they do Charlotte and Emily.

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  6. I have never read Anne Brontë but I would like to.

    The predictability of this might be a bit of a negative for me.

    I agree that is a great closing line.

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    Replies
    1. Brian Joseph - It was predictable, but just as you would expect life to be under these circumstances. Overall, quite enjoyable!

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  7. I haven't done a classics club spin in quite a while since I've decided to focus on NOT paying attention to challenges lately. :)

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    Replies
    1. Rachel - I'm not doing challenges these days either, and worked hard to convince myself that the spin was really an 'event' ;-)

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  8. Oh that is a great ending! I read this one a few years ago and unfortunately can't recall much of it. Glad you found it an enjoyable read!

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    Replies
    1. Iliana - I suspect that all I will remember about this in a few years is the happy ending and closing line :)

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  9. That is a great closing line! I have seen Classics Club here and there. I should check it out. I love the spin idea. It might be the thing to get me to read the books that I want to read but shy away from.

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    1. Toady - It's been nearly five years since I joined the Classics Club. The basic idea is to read 50 classics in 5 years and my goal is near...love the motivation the club provides!

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  10. Hi, I am coming over from Classics Club. I read Agnes Grey this year it is indeed a straight, sometimes pious story.

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    1. Noirfifre - Thanks for visiting. Have you read anything else by Anne Bronte? I loved The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

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  11. Agnes Gray is on my Classic Club list but maybe I should switch it to Tenants... sounds a bit preachy and I am not "into" that stuff these days.
    My Classic spin book was Little women

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    1. Anne - Tenant is a much better book in my opinion. After your experience with Little Women, you may very well find Agnes Grey to be overly preachy.

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  12. I read Tenant last year and Agnes is on my TBR Classics list - glad to see I have a treat ahead of me 😊

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    Replies
    1. Brona - I'm still surprised readers don't seek out Anne's work as often as her sisters.

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